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A Special Kiss

1/27/2026

34 Comments

 
Hello, blog friends...

Hubby and I had a little excitement this past weekend. After shopping in Prescott, we drove back home, and upon entering our housing area, we stopped abruptly. In front of us was a police officer holding a man, spayed against the asphalt, at gunpoint. Within seconds, three additional police cars arrived. Needless to say, we quickly turned around and went to a different entry. Today, we learned that the car was reported stolen, and the criminal was the ex-husband. 
 
Well...Yvette Calleiro hosts Tanka Tuesday this week, and she invites us to focus on "proactive self-care, building resilience, and finding emotional balance." I've chosen to write a poem using the third theme of finding emotional balance. These days it's badly needed, don't you agree? 

If we all could take a mental health day and play with our four-legged loved ones, our children or grandchildren, or our spouses... whomever and whatever makes us laugh, I suspect the sky would not be as gray, the snow not as cold, and the politics not as caustic. And, who knows, maybe ex-husbands would think twice before taking their ex-wife's​ car. 

My thanks to Yvette for the inspiration to write this simple Tanka, with syllables of 5-7-5-7-7. I hope you enjoy it. 

Picture
photo from Canva

Have a wonderful week, dear friends. Let's find ways to laugh!  😊
34 Comments
Selma
1/27/2026 16:48:29

We sure need to rely on balancing things or they escalate. This is lovely. Thanks.

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Gwen M. Plano
1/28/2026 04:00:05

So true, Selma. Thank you for the visit and kind words. 😊

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Ange link
1/28/2026 03:49:43

How wonderful made me smile 🙌

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Gwen M. Plano
1/28/2026 04:00:54

Thank you, Ange. You made me smile too. 😊

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Dan Antion link
1/28/2026 05:19:43

That's a beautiful poem, Gwen. It makes me remember dog kisses, which always brightened my mood. I hope your future rides home are less dramatic.

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Gwen M. Plano
1/28/2026 10:51:21

Thank you, Dan. We live in a very quiet community, so this drama was a shock to all the residents -- but it certainly stirred conversations. 😊

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Priscilla Bettis link
1/28/2026 05:42:21

I'm glad they caught him.

Wonderful poem, Gwen. It's a burst of happiness!

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Gwen M. Plano
1/28/2026 10:52:25

A burst of happiness -- LOVE that image, Priscilla. ❤️

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John W. Howell link
1/28/2026 07:30:26

Wow, what a homecoming, Gwen. Gotta love the drama of domestic disputes. A lovely poem.

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Gwen M. Plano
1/28/2026 10:55:34

Yep, domestic disputes are messy. I suspect the young police officers were happy after chasing the guy into our complex of mostly elderly folks. 😊 Thank you for the thumbs up on the poem, John. It was fun to write.

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Liz Gauffreau link
1/28/2026 10:10:57

Thank you for the day-brightening advice, Gwen! I shall take it to heart.

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Gwen M. Plano
1/28/2026 10:56:16

Thank you, Liz. We need to enjoy every precious moment. 😊

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Jacqui link
1/28/2026 10:12:31

How scary (the police) with a happy ending, not the least of which is the lovely poem.

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Gwen M. Plano
1/28/2026 10:57:56

It was a startling experience, Jacqui. But...all's well that ends well, I guess. We need to cuddle more and enjoy the moments. 😊

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D.L. Finn
1/28/2026 10:51:16

That would have unnerving to see, Gwen. Too bad it went that far for him to grt arrested. Beautiful poem and sometimes that moment is all we need to reset. Xi

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Gwen M. Plano
1/28/2026 14:04:44

It was shocking to see, and I don't know the outcome, Denise. Separately, I'm so happy you liked the poem. 😊

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Pete Springer link
1/28/2026 17:37:55

Neighborhood crime is so upsetting, Gwen. My mom once came home to someone upstairs in the house. Dad was at work, and I was in high school. She got out of there quickly, called the police, and waited on the street some distance away. Before the police got there, he came out of the house wearing a backpack and walked nearby across the street from her. My mom, with a small build, had the nerve to approach him for a closer look. The police caught the guy with a few stolen items in his backpack. Your poem is a much more pleasant thought.

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Gwen M. Plano
2/2/2026 18:47:55

How horrifying, Pete. I don't know that I would be as composed and clear thinking as your mother. I'm in awe of her courage and foresight. ❤️

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Jan Sikes
1/28/2026 20:23:33

Emotional balance is so important to our well-being and so hard to come by these days. I love your poem. It brightened my day. Hope the ex-husband learned an important lesson!

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Gwen M. Plano
2/2/2026 18:50:18

Our HOA area is very quiet, so this was quite an intrusion and upsetting to all who saw it unfold. You're right about balance, Jan. It's much needed these days. ❤️

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Timothy W. Dittmer link
1/28/2026 20:56:36

The poem is lovely, Gwen. It was best to detour an arrest like that.

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Gwen M. Plano
2/2/2026 18:51:30

I'm with you, Tim, about the detour. Thank you for the kind words about the poem. I'm glad you liked it. 🌞

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Thomas Wikman link
1/28/2026 21:28:15

It is a beautiful poem and also wish you all a wonderful week.

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Gwen M. Plano
2/2/2026 18:52:00

Thank you, Thomas. 🌞

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Robbie Cheadle
1/29/2026 11:52:54

Beautiful words, Gwen.

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Gwen M. Plano
2/2/2026 18:52:22

Thanks so much, Robbie. 🌞

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Annette Aben link
1/30/2026 07:52:23

our fur babies (feathered and finned babies) always know what we need, and show us, if we let them

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Gwen M. Plano
2/2/2026 18:52:54

So, so true, Annette. ❤️

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Yvette M Calleiro link
1/31/2026 12:10:32

Beautiful poem, Gwen! I'm happy the cops caught him. Domestic violence is so scary. Thanks for participating this week!

Yvette M Calleiro :-)
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com

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Gwen M. Plano
2/2/2026 18:53:47

Thank you, Yvette, for the inspiration. I enjoyed writing this poem. 🌞

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Paul Cannon link
2/2/2026 07:36:52

Kisses as the breath of life itself, wonderful. This resonates. Also - I had read the first bit twice because I mistakenly read that the man was sprayed against the wall, not quite as grim as I'd thought. 😀

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Gwen M. Plano
2/2/2026 18:55:16

Thank you, Paul. And, you made me smile about the "sprayed"... that would have been really scary. 😄

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Colleen link
2/2/2026 16:35:44

Oh, Gwen. There's nothing more precious than puppies and children playing and laughing together. Thank you for this lovely poem. 🌹

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Gwen M. Plano
2/2/2026 18:58:45

Thank you, Colleen. When I was out walking, I met a gentleman with an Irish Wolfhound -- the first I've ever seen. The dog almost came up to my nose. Its sweetness blew me away. ❤️

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Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ―Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning


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